My sewing guide

10 Best Sewing Machine for Quilting and Buying Guide for Beginners!

Have a passion for quilting or want to learn the art? To do that, you will evidently need a sewing machine and that too, a quilting one.There are several brands that manufacture quilting sewing machines with different price ranges according to their specifications. If you are a beginner and looking for the best sewing machine for quilting, you will need to gain certain knowledge about these products beforehand.

Quilting sewing machines have features like stitches/minute, auto threader, auto trimmer, extension table, and last but not the least – warranty. Beginners need to check all of these features before buying a machine or else they might end up with the wrong product. So you may choose the best sewing machine for beginners from following recommendations. You may become best serger through these recommendations.

This article outlines a buying guide of a sewing machine for quilting and reviews of 10 best products that do the job exceptionally.

Top 5 Suggestions For Sewing Machines To Buy

BRANDS

Janome
MC-6300P

Juki
TL-2000Qi

Brother
PQ1500SL

Singer Quantum
Stylist 9960

Brother XR9500PRW
Project Runway

SEWING
SPEED

1000 spm

1500 spm

1500 spm

850 spm

850 spm

STITCH
LENGHT

0 - 5 mm

0 - 6 mm

0 - 7 mm

0 - 7 mm

0 - 5 mm

DIMENSIONS
(Inches)

19.6x11.8x8.6

17.8x8.6x13.8

25x11.8x14.8

17.2x8.2x12

20.3x12.7x17.6

WEIGHT
(KG)

12

11.5

13.5

9

4.5

Sewing Machine for Quilting: Buying Guide

Before jumping into all the features, let’sfirst talk about their types.

Sewing machines come in the following 2 types:

1. Mechanical

In case you’re looking for a cheaper product, mechanical sewing machines can be the ideal options for you. These machines are heavy duty and have buttons and controlswhich you have to adjust manually. Mechanical sewing machines can attain to all basic needs, but may not provide satisfaction when it to comes to precision.

2. Electronic

Electronic sewing machines are a bit pricy compared to mechanical ones, but perform superiorly compared to the latter. These are easy sewing machines handles the quilting more precisely owing to their presence of electronic components. However, I must tell you that electronic sewing machines will require more maintenance compared to a mechanical one.

Features to checkin a sewing machine for quilting:

If you are a beginner, do check for the following features before buying a sewing machine.

1. Needle threader

A needle threader will automatically put the thread in the needle eye without any help. These can be helpful for individuals with weak eyesight and also, dexterity problems. Since you will be stitching a lot, having a needle threader can save a significant amount of time and frustration. Best serger will know importance of all these things.

2. Bobbin type

A top-loading or drop-in bobbin system can automatically come out and drop into its place without having to open the case. It has a transparent cover enabling you to see the remaining thread. Moreover, they offer easy removal and replacement of bobbins.

Other than top-loading, front-loading bobbins also exist; however, I would recommend you to avoid them as they can be complicated to operate owing to their front placement.

3. Free arm

Beginners will require stitching smaller parts in order to practice, and a sewing machine convertible to a free arm can let you do that. Without a free arm, you won’t be able to stitch the round and smaller parts which can uselessly cause frustrations.

4. Buttonholer

An automatic buttonholer can aide in creating precise button holes that most don’t achieve manually. With this feature, you can easily sew button hole without the need for pressing any buttons or stopping to turn the fabric. Easy sewing machines can even just have to put the button in a slot and automatically sew a buttonhole that can fit the former.

5. Adjustable tension

Various threads and fabrics require various types of tension in order to perform ideally. In addition, you will also be required to vary the stitch length based on the project you are working on.

The best sewing machine for quilting will have this feature and make sure to go for this one as well.

6. Needle Position

Needle position will let you freely move it according to your needs. When you stop stitching, moving the needle up or down forms one of its major aspects. Putting the needle down will make it efficient when turning a corner and lifting the pressure foot without skipping a stitch.

Furthermore, it will also let you move the stitching line and the needle from right to left.

7. Light

Although not a significant feature, but a light can make it easier to stitch especially for those with a poor eyesight. Moreover, continuous stitching can put pressure on the eyes and a light can come handy in this situation.

I would also suggest you to check whether you can replace the bulb in case it breaks; some manufactures require customers to take the machine to a dealer in order to replace the light.

8. Types of stitches

The more types of stitches, the merrier.

Most often, you will require a straight and sometimes a zigzag stitch. However, all latest products offer several types of stitching which you must check in case you are seeking a special type. Also, more types of stitches can also mean, you will have to spend more money.

9. Speed Control

As the name suggests, this feature can enable you to control the speed of stitching. As a beginner, freedom of controlling the speed will let you stitch in a slow and steady pace without messing things up.

10. Presser Foot

The presser foot does the job of tightly pressing the fabric to the machine so that you can sew without hassle. A pressure foot prevents stretching in knits and puckering in fabrics. Ensure that pressure foot is effective so that it does not hamper the stitching.

Moreover, the lever position for adjusting the pressure foot is also of utmost significance.

11. Lightweight

Last but not least, ensuring that the product you buy is lightweight can ease you from several hassles. If you are going to store it in closet, make sure you can do so without seeking someone else’s assistance.

Checking for these features can make sure you get the best sewing machine for quilting.

Reviewing top 10 sewing machines:

Now, tofurther make your purchase easier, here are 10 sewing machines for quilting,I have personally tested, that you can start-off with.

First in this segment is the Janome MC-6300P review, tending towards the expensive side although delivering superb features. Versatile and robust, the Memory Craft (MC) 6300P offers superior stitching when it comes to free motion quilting and ensure you get your desired result. You can see why it is best sewing machine for quilting.

Some notable features include:

Adjustable Foot Pressure

The knee lift present in this machine adds more to its convenience thereby enabling you to stitch continually with both hands.

66 stitches and 4 buttonholes

An abundance of 66 stitches and 4 buttonholes gives you the option to let your imagination go wild.

3rdin best sewing machine for quilting is the affordable Brother PQ1500SL with a sewing peed of 1500 stitches per minute. In this Brother PQ1500SL review, I’ll share with you the USPs of this product.

Extension Table

Its large 12×18-inch extension table adds more workspace and makes it easier for quilting.

Needle Threader, Positioner, and Trimmers

All of these features can save significant amount of time especially if you are a beginner.

Knee Lever

Its in-built knee lever makes it convenient to lift and lower the pressure foot, in turn, making it easier to remove or reposition the fabric.

Other features of this easy sewing machine include adjustable feed dog, high-speed sewing, in addition to being quiet and requiring low maintenance. One of minor cons is that the thread curter trims the thread too short.

InSinger Quantum Stylist 9960 review, I will showcase in brief the various features of this machine that makes it best sewing machine for beginners.This is small sewing machine as compare to other sewing machines.

Customers have given positive Laura Ashley Limited Edition review mainly for the following features that make this sewing machine one of the best for quilting and also best sewing machine for beginners.You can also use it as domestic sewing machine.

Drop-in bobbin

The drop-in or top-loading bobbin mechanism of this machine makes it quite desirable for beginners.

Light

An attached light makes it easier to stitch during low-light conditions.

Extended table

Abundant stitch types

155 types of stitches make this product an exclusive one; I tried stitching each quilt with a different type of stitching and it worked!

Numerous types of accessories, speed adjustments, and 8 buttonhole styles are some of its other features. The Laura Ashley Limited Edition’s overall plastic build can disappoint some of the users though.

Large quilting table

Other features include hard cover, LCD display, and 7×1-step buttonhole options. However, two of the cons I came across in customers’ Brother CS6000i review are poor lighting and ineffective placement.

I hope, this Janome 2212 review will educate you with this exceptionally affordable and small sewing machine. You can say this is a basic sewing machine, domestic sewing machine which we can use at our home for daily needy alterations in clothes.

Some of its features include:

Built-in stitches

12 built-in stitches giveyou an abundance of stitching styles to use in various fabrics.

Vertical oscillating bobbin

Jams are considerably reduced which can save time due to the presence of vertical oscillating bobbin.

Easy stitch controls

A dedicated dial placed in the top lets you easily switch between all the stitching styles.

Buttonhole

The Janome 2212’s 4-step buttonhole gives more options while stitching.

The model comes with a 25-year warranty and also includes powerful motors that can stitch through sturdy materials. Being a bit loud, it can be irritating to work with it though.

The Brother XR9500PRW Project Runway is another best brother sewing machine and compact and cheap sewing machine also that can perform well during quilting. Probably this may be best sewing machine for beginners as this is a very small sewing machine that easy to handle. This is a best domestic sewing machine for domestic use, you can say this is a basic sewing machine.